Paying it Forward

For Levar Cole ’02, paying it forward began as he walked off the McConnell Lawn after graduation in 2002.

As he and George Mendiola ’00 reflected on their Radford University experiences, both felt the time was now to help those who would follow in their footsteps.

The Mendiola-Cole Leadership Scholarship is an example of philanthropy that began while the glow of accomplishment still burned bright. Cole and Mendiola immediately started making an annual investment in the endowed scholarship that bears their name.

“George said ‘Let’s do it. Help me do it,’” said Cole. “We reached out to as many people as we could and it happened faster than I thought.”

Cole, now an audit manager for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), was heartened by the response.

“People I didn’t even know pitched in,” Cole said.

Both Cole and Mendiola were leaders at Radford University who benefited from scholarship support. Mendiola was Student Government Association (SGA) president, and Cole was executive vice president. The desire to give back to the campus by assisting students who contribute to Radford was one of many aspirations that united them.

The two SGA leaders worked their networks of friends and fellow alumni to get the scholarship established in 2003. In 2007, the Mendiola-Cole Leadership Scholarship reached endowment status and was first awarded in 2009.

The recipients of the Mendiola-Cole Leadership Scholarship meet its rigorous qualifications of a minimum 3.3 GPA for undergraduates or 3.7 GPA for graduates and demonstrated leadership abilities at Radford University through their participation in extracurricular activities that promote the welfare of all students.

Cole’s experience at the University was an eye-opener, he said.

“When I arrived at college, I wasn’t sure I would like it. There was something about Radford that made me like school. I got to choose what I studied and there were so many interesting options,” Cole said. “Some of the best classes I had were literature and writing classes. Who knew?”

Radford University’s academic richness inspired Cole to double major. After finishing up his criminal justice major, he added a political science major.

Cole’s curiosity and drive motivated him to seize service opportunities off-campus as well. One day, he said, he witnessed a car accident. The fire department response intrigued him so much that he joined the Radford Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter.

“There are so many opportunities to grow and serve,” Cole said. “I just want to help other Radford young people to recognize and enjoy the same experiences I did.”

To round out his undergraduate experience, Cole worked as a youth mentor with Beans and Rice, a community service organization, and participated in the honor societies for his chosen fields: Lambda Alpha Epsilon and the Pi Gamma Mu.

The thank-you letters he has received from the recipients of the Mendiola-Cole Leadership Scholarship keep Cole connected to his undergraduate days at Radford University.

“Man, we were just like them back then,” he said.

Much has changed, though, for Cole. He is the father of five and works in an intense field as a member of a team charged with overseeing nuclear reactor safety for the NRC’s Office of the Inspector General.

A common thread running through Cole’s life for the past 15 years has been his Radford University friends.

“I never expected to see so many Radford colleagues along the way,” Cole said. “Throughout my career, I have met new Radford friends and grown closer to many of those with whom I graduated.”

Levar Cole ’02, second from left, with his family

Radford University, the Mendiola-Cole Leadership Scholarship and its recipients, past and future, are beneficiaries of the connections that were kindled on campus and have grown with time.

“The time at Radford was great,” Cole said. “I feel good about young people going there. I can’t stress enough the value to me of the lifelong friendships I made at Radford.”

In retrospect, Cole said he is happy that he and Mendiola responded quickly to their urge to give back.

“The crazy thing is that as I look back, it was smart to do it right after school,” Cole said. “Now I am used to writing a check annually and asking friends to contribute.” ■